Efficiency of conversion of solar energy into direct electrical current, and the cost of installed solar panels, are of great importance to the overall successful commercial adoption of solar electrical power generation. A variety of materials are used in manufacturing solar cells, a plurality of solar cells then being connected to form a solar panel. Examples include crystalline cells based upon doped silicon and thin film cells based upon cadmium-telluride (“Cd—Te”). Cd—Te is of interest to the industry for its low total cost of manufacture. However Cd—Te cells are known to lose efficiency as a result of exposure to sunlight. During construction, solar panels may be staged at a construction site such that they are exposed to sunlight, a condition so-called “light soaking.” During normal operation, solar panels are obviously exposed to sunlight, thus light soaked. In either case, efficiency is unavoidably lost over exposure time, such loss being cumulative.
Cd—Te cells may be reconditioned, thereby restoring their efficiency, by providing direct current to the series-connected cells under controlled conditions. The polarity and profile of the value of direct current which best results in reconditioning of the Cd—Te cells varies by the chemistry and structure of the cells and substrate by a given manufacturer, by time (that is, light soaking experienced and life time), and manufacturing variations between cells and panels. However the solutions for providing reconditioning of the present art are difficult to implement and expensive. What is needed is an economical means for controlling the power conversion of the solar panels during normal operation as well as providing the desired bias current from time to time to recondition Cd—Te solar cells as-needed.